Assigjstob op one-half to



, Y Y UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

, r m FREDERICK K. TRACY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO r CHARLES E.` STRONG, OF SAME' PLACE.

y sTEREoTYPE-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,596, dated March 25, 1884.

` Application iiled April 2, 1883. (No model.)

To ctZZ 'whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK K. TRACY, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereotype-Plates, which are fully set forth in the annexed drawings and specification. l

My invention relates to stereotype-plates for the printing of newspapers or other columned matter, which it is frequently desired to transpose by columns or parts of columns, or wherein substitution of column for column has frequently to be made, and wherein it is desirable to -make such changes, transpositions, and substitutions without removing the forms from the press, and particularly without unlocking the forms or otherwise materially disturbing them.

The object of my invention is to provide a type-high plate. of columned stereotype matter having grooves withtransverse ribs under the column-rules, so that the plate may be the more easily subdivided, and the parts when brought together the more easily and securely fastened in the form, as set forth and shown in the accompanying description and drawings, wherein- Figure l represents a 'transverse vertical section of stereotype-plate of a newspaper page cast embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a perspective of the back or under side of such a page before being sawed up into co umns. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of thecolumns sawed from such a page, showing the cut section with the transverse bridges. Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of a newspaper page embodying my invention made up of the columns after having been cut and set togetherto form a new page, with the independent col- -umn-rules bound between them, as described. Fig. 5 shows a perspective of the lid of a casting-box which I employ in casting stereotype plates embodying my invention.

Referencebeing had to the drawings, A is the body of the stereotype-plate; B, the longitudinal rift under the column-rules d; C, the

transverse necks or bridges alluded to.

head-rule; F, the footesluggG, the chase, into which the several columns, with their inter- D is l the independent co1umn-rule employed and 5o set between the divided columns. E is the vening column-rules, or the continuous uncut page-plate, are bound in the usual manner. I make the page-plate with the anterior grooves, as I have described, by providing the lid or cover of the casting-box with longitudinal ribs, in the position and of the size and shape of the desired grooves; and at the points at which the cross-necks or bridges are wanted these ribs are cut away, as shown in Fig. 5. For the purpose of causing the metal to relieve easily from these ribs, I `make them slightly wedge-shaped, and corners and edges I make slightly rounded, or at least blunted, since I find that sharp angles in the pattern do not relieve easily from the metal. In use such columns as are to be transposed are sawed out from the page, the-saw cutting out the stereotyped column-rule as originally cast directly over the rift through which the saw runs. The saw-cut edges of the columns are then dressed to remove the roughness left by the saw, the amount of metal taken out by both processessawing and dressing-being precisely equivalent in thickness to the independent column-rules, which replace it in the form made up with the divided columns. be seen that when full columns are set the cross-cut end of the necks or bridges of adjacent columns will abut against the columnrule directly opposite each other, and will so bind the column-rule securely between them and brace the columns in such manner as to prevent them from bulging upward. If fractional columns are used so cut that when set together in the form these cross-cut ends of the neck of metal do not abut against the column-rule at points directly opposite, they will nevertheless serve to prevent any bulging of the page, since, the bridges being cast not more than six inches apart, the greatest distance by which any two opposite bridges could be separated in any manner of subdividing the columns would be three inches, and inasmuch as the column-rule is securely bound all alongf What'I claim, `and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

A stereotypeplate of columned matter cast It will IOO type high, and with column-rules and anterior longitudinal grooves under and extending up- Ward toward the rules, and provided with necks or bridges across and interoepting such grooves, for the purpose of diminishing the labor of subdividing such platesand preventing any bulging of the form.

In testimony whereof I have this 30th day of March, 1883, hereto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

, FREDERICK K. TRACY.

Attest: I,

R. KENNEDY, Oi-iAs. S. BURTON. 

